It’s the fifth game of probably the most legendary franchise in gaming history. Actually, its not. GTA V is
actually the seventh game of the franchise if you include Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft
Auto: San Andreas. There are, of course, more if you include Chinatown Wars, iOS ports and every
expansion there is, but all that doesn’t really matter because in GTA V, just like any other GTA game ever
made, challenge the possibilities and introduce new ways to enjoy video games. GTA V’s mind blowing
experience is lit by three fuses, and they are merge somewhere down the line to explode into the
greatest gaming experience to blow your mind since GTA IV. Meet the cast.

Michael

He’s looking for that ever-illusive spark… that is
likely to cause an explosion.
He is one of the very few bad guys to have
made it this big, and it seems like he’s not
content with “retiring” away into the luxurious
parts of Los Santos, but he is far from being that
decrepit old man who looks back at life in regret.
In fact, it seems like he’s going to do everything
in his power to NOT look back at a life of regret.
He lives an opulent life in a dreamy house,
driving sports cars, and yet, he’s troubled enough
to see a therapist. Trailers depict him as a heavy
drinker; he’s probably this way because he’s
unhappy with the state of his life as it is. Many of
us wouldn’t think twice about trading lives with
Michael, but we suspect that a big part of
Michael’s misery stems from how unfulfilling and
distant his family is from him. From the reveal
trailer, it doesn’t seem like anyone at home sees
eye to eye with this individual that is used to
being important. “I want to be a good dad, love
my family, and live the dream…” is what he said
to his therapist, but clips of his family being too
involved with their own lives suggest that Michael
isn’t anywhere close to where he wants to be, not
with self-centered, spoilt kids like that. It’s more
than a mid life crisis for Michael, it’s about feeling
that he matters once again, it’s about feeling
alive.
Unlike the other two protagonists, Michael’s a
character that needs deciphering. It probably
isn’t his intention, but he isn’t the open book that
Trevor or Franklin is. Similar to Trevor, Michael
does appear to have violent tendencies, but his
approach to violence isn’t as crude as Trevor’s.
It’s that cliché of a rich and miserable person
that we’ve become familiar with, except Michael’s
a gangster. He’s rich, so he’s probably not in the
heists for the money. A life of crime is probably
the only thing Michael is comfortable and good
at (perhaps too comfortable) so our guess is that
he’s in all of this just to feel good about himself
again.

Franklin

Any way is a good, as long as it gets him out of the
ghetto
He started off as a street hustler, but never really
amounted to anything, so the residue of an wasted
teenage life is a guy that hates where he’s at and
wants to move forward but has no idea how to. They
say that the company you have is a reflection of
yourself, and it seems like Franklin could use a
change of company.
Trevor’s reveal trailer showed a disturbing
individual, but at least there were parts in his reveal
where he wasn’t miserable. Michael’s trailer showed
the “empty” life of a middle-aged man and Franklin’s
trailer showed a man who isn’t content with the life
he’s in. We see a man being criticised for
questioning his existence of a gang-banger in a postgang-bang world, but more importantly, we see a
man who wants to get out. He’s been stagnant for
too long and wants to move forward, in a life of
crime that is, because moving forward is the only
way to get out of the hood.
We know that Franklin started out working for an
Armenian gangster as a repo-man. This has
equipped him with good driving skills, so while
Trevor has aerial transport covered, Franklin’s taking
over the driver seat when you’re bound to the
ground.
GTA V is rumoured to truly begin when the three
protagonists cross paths, and because Franklin is so
eager and moving up in the criminal world, he’ll see
Michael as a father figure and mentor of sorts. This
small-time gang-banger will do anything to forward
himself, and Michael will soon develop a better
relationship with Franklin than he has with his own
son.
Franklin’s character is also pretty cliché, like
Michael, like Trevor. This isn’t really a bad thing, as it
gets grimy introduction sequences out of their way
so that we can sink our teeth into the action that
Rockstar has meticulously planned out.

Issue 09, 2013 - 05

Trevor

He doesn’t need a pair of sawn-offs to be dangerous. He says
he sees a shrink once a week, but our guess is that he
doesn’t even show up or he’s psychiatrist is a joke.
It may seem as if life has dealt Trevor a bad hand, but
there is a certain blissfulness that his “who gives a sh*t”
attitude exudes. Besides being a military pilot in the past, he
really doesn’t have many life accomplishments under his
belt. This devil may care attitude radiates from his
perpetually unkempt appearance, from his five o’clock
shadow to his dirty shirts.
Trevor isn’t what most would call normal, if he ever did
exist in real life (wouldn’t be surprised if there were similar
types spotted) he’s be the person you’d go out of your way to
avoid – that’s what makes Trevor such an interesting
character. He’s got an extreme personality, being particularly
violent, unhinged and borderline psychotic, so he’s pretty
destructive to himself as well as to those around him. He isn’t
as calm and calculated as Michael and he does everything
instinctively, which also happens to be relentlessly. While
there may seem to be nothing beneficial about this sort of
quirky behaviour, people like Trevor are often fairly readable
and wear their emotions and intentions on their sleeves. If
Trevor’s not happy with a certain arrangement, he’d be vocal
(or even physical) about it. He isn’t the cunning sort who’ll
start plotting for your downfall after a dispute. So it’s highly
unlikely that Trevor would end up being the double-crossing
type, but that doesn’t make him hero material either.
Judging from the clips that Rockstar has revealed, it looks
like Trevor lives in the outskirts of Vinewood. We wouldn’t go
as far to say that Trevor’s a country bumpkin or anything
hillbilly-esque, but let’s just say there are tractors seen
around his neighbourhood.
He brings about his own brand of justice and wouldn’t
think twice about inflicting violence on another to get his
point across, so think of him as Dirty Harry without the
class… or good looks… or police authority… Despite being
somewhat of a wreck and a loose canon, Trevor is still a man
you’d want on your team because he comes across as a man
who will get things done no matter what. Even if it means
getting his hands dirty, he’ll do it.

All-in-one
The experience of Metro: Last Light is a healthy
mix of exploration, stealth, action and survival
sprinkled with a fair bit of horror.

Light takes off after the events of 2033,
and because you are able to chose how
Metro 2033 ends, Last Light kicks off assuming you
picked the most destructive one.
A species known only as “The Dark Ones” have been
wiped off the face of the planet thanks to a missile
strike trigger by you, Artyom. You’ve been promoted to
Ranger since then, but a fellow comrade has spotted a
Dark One. It may be a coincidence, but you have the
ability to “connect” to this species, and it is also you
who gets sent to get rid of it. And so your journey
begins, through the dim and morbid halls and corridors
of the Metro and the desolated wasteland of mutant
abominations above.
Exploring the underground Metro can be fun, and
more often than not, you’d pick up on what it is like to
actually be sealed underground. Things are a lot
different up top, as you no longer belong nor own the
space. The surface offers a different experience, and
while the surface does bring forth some of the most
beautifully rendered post-apocalyptic scenes, it is
terrifying and intense. Unlike facing humans and
adopting different tactics underground, the surface
coaxes you into a frantic survival mode with audio that
keeps up with the games artistic design and pacing.

Last Light is reasonably brighter than 2033. The
eerie feeling of not knowing what lies 10 feet in front of
you (a feeling created by the amount of darkness in
2033) is definitely something that will be missed, but
this makes Last Light a more approachable game to
many. Fans might argue that this makes the game
easier and “less hardcore”, but like 2033, Metro: Last
Light is all about telling you a story by immersing you
in a world that is both familiar and foreign to you. Its
story is one that is cleverly conveyed through the use
of video gaming and from what we have experienced, it
is near impossible for it to be done any better.
Combat for Metro: Last Light is actually a lot better
than Metro 2033. Stealth was essential, probably the
only way to go in 2033, due to a combination of
Artyom’s inability to take hits and enemy AI being too
domineering. The lack of ammunition also made the
stealth route seem like the sensible approach. You can
still take the stealthy approach in Last Light, but now
that ammo is less scarce, you are able to use silenced
weapons to mix up the experience. Now that enemy AI
has been toned down, you can adopt the guns blazing
route with a lot less agony.
It may not be a brilliant FPS and it is definitely not
the most horrifying game we’ve come across, but Last
Light is still one for the books simply because of the

Issue 09, 2013 - 07

experience it crafts. It’s a game with ridiculous
amounts of detail in every corner. Some details could
have easily been omitted and not be missed, but they
are in place simply because Metro: Last Light is above
all, an experience/story world crafted for your pleasure.
Console players may be a little less fortunate than PC
players (what’s new), and the lack of detail on the
consoles does take some charm away from a game
that thrives on how immersed you are, but the overall
formula of having rich yet rugged environments filled
with people and incidental dialogue still illustrates what
life is like in the Metro.
Metro: Last Light is definitely worth the price of
admission for PC gamers, high end of low end, NVidia
or AMD. FPS-fatigued console gamers will be pleasantly
surprised at what Last Light brings to the table. You
can gauge (quite accurately) how much goes into the
narrative and experience of a game’s campaign when it
doesn’t offer any online multiplayer action despite
every other FPS enforcing multiplayer like it is a
God-given right. Single-player only hits like Dishonored
and BioShock Infinite have shown that gamers deserve
and enjoy a good narrative and gameplay experience
above everything, and Metro: Last Light yet another
shining example.

Same, but better
Riptide plays like Dead Island without the plague
of technical horrors that made it a nightmare
(pre-patch, of course). Riptide is a much
smoother experience and although it isn’t free of
the occasional hiccup, it delivers on the same
adrenalin-fueling building paranoia that zombie
junkies can’t get enough of.

Cheap tactics
Turning the gamma up on the graphics settings
helps you save flashlight batteries. This works on
most games that require or limit the use
flashlights.

island (once again) and it is up to you to
survive the zombie apocalypse. The four
original characters make their return to this sequel,
and there is also a fifth playable character being
introduced alongside a new line-up of villains.
Despite being on a new island, Palanai doesn’t feel
all too different. Perhaps it is the whole “tropical
paradise turn sour” theme, but these seemingly new
locales feel a bit too similar. Since this open world
game has the tendency to bring you back to places
that you have already explored before (fetch quests
and such), the sense of sameness is amplified. This is
why unpredictable AI behaviour is so important, as
zombies and special infected are likely to thwart and
hinder your errands.
It comes as no surprise that Riptide’s narrative is
just an excuse to go on chaotic undead slaying fests
and you’d be partially right to think that the experience
of Riptide doesn’t differ much from the first Dead
Island game. That’s actually a good thing, because
everything that was gratifyingly addictive about the
first game is all here in the follow-up. Acquiring and
upgrading to bigger and more powerful weapons and
giving them a test-run on the next unfortunate walking
corpse hardly gets old. The same can’t be said for the
graphics though, as Riptide looks almost identical to
the first game. We’ve mentioned countless times that
graphics, alone, don’t make the game, but it would’ve
been nice to see graphical advances, however small
they may be.

If Riptide were to promise anything, it would be
intense zombie action. Once again, melee combat
takes centre stage and you’ll really get a sense of how
brutal impacts can be thanks to how the zombies
respond to the physical violence that you dish (in self
defence of course).
Gut kicking and fist flailing by yourself in single
player is definitely a feasible option, but it doesn’t beat
dancing with friends. Playing alone, riptide will treat
you to a spectacle of unpredictable zombies and
special infecteds, and you’ll soon get a true sense of
what it is like to be as a survivor on this zombie riddled
island. You’ll be on your toes the whole time, as
guttural moans and grunts constantly remind you not
to let your guard down, but adding more players to the
mix actually makes for an extremely goofy, yet
satisfying experience. Watching your buddies rain on
zombies with electrical crowbars, wrenches and oars
can sometimes feel more comical than adventureesque, and there’s surely a giggle to be found when
your fellow survivor is recklessly running anything and
everything over because he/she is such an awful driver.
Riptide, in a word, is a safe game. It’s about staying
safe, but the game is also safe, in a sense that it
doesn’t do too much to change what made it such an
enjoyable game in the first place. Players who enjoyed
the multiplayer questing and slaying will definitely find
their place in Riptide, as this is a game that plays to the
music of its fans. If you didn’t like Dead Island, you’re
probably going to feel the same about Riptide, despite
it being a lot less buggy.

his isn’t a sequel as it is a re-release, and you
will be able to play the original Dragon’s Dogma
if you purchase Dark Arisen because everything
is on one disc. It isn’t unlike Capcom to pull a “but wait,
there’s more!” move, but the fact that most of the
gamer-irking aspects of the game have been adressed
suggests that Capcom has indeed been listening to
their fans.
Dark Arisen introduces you to a cursed underground
realm known as Bitterblack Isle, and it is an all new,
meticulously constructed place, complete with new
terrifying enemy types to take on as well as new
treasures to find.
IF anything, Dark Arisen is tough, and it does very
little to make things pleasant for you, especially towards
the end. There are plenty of hard battles and bosses to
fight, and like Dark Souls, the odds are pretty much
stacked against you. Reloading save points and fighting
bosses can sometimes be the reason why people
actually enjoy playing a game, but to some it may prove
to be more annoying than challenging. The good news
is, your pawns will talk a lot less, ergo, they will be a lot
less annoying.
Owners of the original Dragon’s Dogma will be able
to export all of their existing characters and saved data
to continue their journey as the Arisen. With new
augments, skills, weapons and armour sets, Dark Arisen
is actually a very compelling offering, even if you
already own the original. 100,000 Rift Crystals
Unlimited Ferrystones, and Gransys Armour Pack will
surely be a big reason to take Bitterblack Isle on. A
texture pack and Japanese language pack are also
included on a separate disc, but you’ll need some hard
disk space to download these enhancements.
Dark Arisen has the potential to add about 8-10
hours to your Dragon’s Dogma experience, and this
number may vary depending on your level and
eagerness to explore.

Is it any surprise that Dark Arisen acts as a Super
Dragon’s Dogma? Afterall, this IS the publisher that
gave us Street Fighter 4 and Super Street Fighter 4.
Although we are seeing quite a disturbing pattern, we’re
happy to report that like Super Street Fighter 4, Dark
Arisen is indeed a treat for those who enjoyed Dragon’s
Dogma.
If you have never tackled Dragon’s Dogma, Dark
Arisen lets you start your journey from the very
beginning. You will need to “complete” the game before
the new area opens up for you, as this DLC acts as
post-game content. The original Dragon’s Dogma was
one of 2012’s better offerings despite being riddled with
glitches on launch. With a retail price of S$49.90, Dark
Arisen is actually a very compelling purchase, especially
if you missed the wagon on Dragon’s Dogma.

HHHH

74

GG

VERDICT

GoodGame

10 - Issue 09, 2013

Handheld Heartache?
We’re big fans of previous gen handhelds such as the PSP and the
Nintendo DS (all variants). The truth is, handhelds have made great
strides since the days of the Nintendo Game Boy.
We’ve seen handhelds transition from mono to colour and
seen pretty dramatic improvements in terms of graphics and
performance. We also see technological progress in terms of how
efficient these devices were and anyone who has owned a Sega
Game Gear would know the importance of efficiency is, since
it wouldn’t make much sense to have a portable device that is
powered by six AA batteries only to die a mere 2 hours later.
So we have moved from brick-sized devices to svelte portables
that fit into your back pocket, from deviced that drained external
batteries to devices with very reliable in-built batteries (that
seem to last forever), from monochromatic LCDs to responsive
hi-definition touch screen displays, from game-only devices to
your personal multimedia station on the go. We take awesome
devices like the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita for granted
sometimes because we feel that they are a the result of a very
“natural” process of evolution. Although we shouldn’t take these
device for granted because it’s hard not to see how they could have
done better. It’s also hard not to compare the two handhelds and of
course, we know you can’t compare apples to oranges, so we’ll be
looking at the merits and downsides of the two platforms.

Naming Names

Touchy touchy

Gimme Games

3DS

3DS

3DS

It’s a cool and relevant name. Every gamer knows DS
stands for Dual Screen and of course, every gamer
knows that the 3DS is capable of producing 3D games,
images and pictures without the need for any eyewear.
The duality of its name just works, and we couldn’t
come up with a better name for the device.

Touch screen is responsive despite being a tad small (on
the original 3DS) but it still offers a the same awesome
gameplay experiences like its predecessors did. A handy
stylus is included and integrated into the unit for precise
gestures and tapping. Not that it would prove to be
exceptionally useful, but touch screen on the 3DS isn’t a
multi-touch one.

With almost a year’s headstart on the Vita, Nintendo’s
portfolio of games haven’t been too spectacular, with
the major titles being exclusives like Super Mario 3D
Land and Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. This humble
handheld still boasts over 150 games and that’s actually
not too bad for a 2-year old device.

Vita

Vita

Vita

If the name of your product doesn’t make me want it
more, even after someone (Kaz Hirai) explains it you,
you have failed when it comes to naming the product.
If the names of the second and third PlayStation were
named PS2 and PS3 respectively, what’s wrong with
PSP2?

A gorgeous, uber responsive OLED multi-capacitative
touch screen on the front isn’t the only thing that’s going
to draw fingerprints. The PlayStation Vita also features
a touch pad on its back. The device is just begging to be
touched but there are merely a handful of games that
utilise the PlayStation Vita’s greatest strengths.

Just like the 3DS, the Vita’s launch was also plagued
with only a few noteworthy games. The only difference
however, is the ability to access the PSN and download
PSP, PS2 and even original PlayStation titles. The only
thing that sucks about this service is how we would have
effectively paid to play the same game, twice.

Issue 09, 2013 - 11

Sticking it to da man

Connectivity

3DS
Even with the launch of the 3DS XL, we still see one
thumbstick/circle pad. You’re going to need to buy a
Circle Pad add-on if you want to play Monster Hunter
Tri G, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater and Resident Evil:
Revelations the way they were meant to be played.
Surprisingly, we don’t have a problem with any of this.
The only gripe we have is how “tight” the circle pad on
the 3DS can be and how much fatigue it can cause when
using it.

Vita
Hooray for dual thumb sticks. That is all.

GoodGame

Sharing is caring

3DS
WiFi is your only option if you wanna play with a buddy,
but you won’t need a network to connect to if you plan
on going head-to-head against your buddy in Super
Street Fighter 4.

Growing up as a children of the 90’s, we’re used to
sharing with siblings and cousins, particularly costly
toys such as the DS and PSP. Good news is, you can
register a couple of users for the 3DS, and you can still
share your 3DS with siblings (or friends) like the good
old days.

Vita

Vita

A 3G model lets you do some web browsing on the
go, but due to a data cap, you’re unlikely to play online
games via 3G. You’re still going to be to play over WiFi
pretty seamlessly, and to be perfectly honest, we haven’t
really seen how 3G helps to improve the experience of
the PlayStation Vita.

Each Vita only recognises one user and if you intend
to share your Vita, you’ll be sharing everything on
your PSN account. Saved games could be a problem,
since your autosaves, friends and trophies are linked
to your PSN ID.

3DS

GreatGadgets

12 - Issue 09, 2013

CAGING THE
The biggest car isn’t necessarily the fastest or most powerful one, and this logic
can be applied to performance PCs. It actually feels like a modern miracle that
we’re able to cramp this much power and performance into this snazzy mid-tower.
We’ve been wanting to put together an all-AMD build for awhile now and now that
the stars are aligned and everything is in place, we present to you, a beastly build
that is high on performance and practical at the same time.

RED
Cooler Master N300
Many would be performance PC owners place less emphasis on their chassis, simply
because the chassis doesn’t seem to affect the performance of their PC in anyway.
Most would rather go for a “less flashy” or “less gamer-ish” enclosure because it doesn’t
make any sense to be spending more money on “aesthetics”. Here’s the truth, the
enclosure is actually more important that you think it isn’t. The best enclosures provide
good and consistent airflow, and offer the PC builder options. Good enclosures offer
cable routing options, holes for mounting additional fans, hot swappable bays and even
premium fans. Build quality is also a factor and since you’re going to house a variety of
expensive components, you’ll want your case that feels sturdy and reliable as well.
The N300 strikes a perfect balance between price and quality. This enclosure is
designed to house ATX motherboards as well as top-tier graphics cards like the AMD
HD 7970 we have installed. It also features USB 3.0 support, holds up to 8 HDD (2
tool-less) has two 120mm, SickleFlow fans included, a full mesh front panel and
windowed side panel. Depsite being smaller than many enthusiast-class enclosures, the
N300 also offers mounts for water-cooling options (such as the Seidon 120M we have
installed).
Even if you’re used to bigger enclosures (such as the HAF series) getting a neat and
tidy system layed out in the N300 won’t be much of a problem. While you won’t have a
spacious interior (when compared to full towers), cooling is actually much more
efficient and require less fans because of the minimal space in the chassis.
But after all that is said and done, you cannot go wrong with a S$75 chassis that
offers so much and asks for so little. It’s hard to fault an enclosure like the N300, really.

Pro tip: It is very important to check out review on components when deciding on computer parts, but it also helps to keep the
brands you adopt as few as possible. If you noticed, we went with a Cooler Master chassis as well as a Cooler Master liquid
cooler, and an Asus motherboard as well as an Asus graphics card. This way, we don’t really have to remember that many
distributors, in case something goes wrong when the products are under warranty.

Issue 09, 2013 - 13

Asus HD 7970 Direct CU II
This beast of a card is overclocked and completely non-reference.
Its massive heatsink ejects heat with the help of its two fans that
have bearings that are dust proof. This is excellent, since the dust
that makes its way to the bearings is usually the cause of noise,
affects cooling efficiency and even malfunction. This card’s fans
remain fairly quiet, even with some overclocking
It’s backplate also helps dissipate heat while making it look a lot
more attractive in your windowed case, but it also helps give the
card a lot of rigidity.
Overclocking this graphics card is a fairly easy and
straightforward affair with Asus’ GPU Tweak program, but if you

wanna go the hardcore route, this card lets you whip out your
soldering equipment with VGA Hotwire. You’ll be able to adjust
almost everything about this card in the EUFI, even voltage
controls, so if it is power you crave, this card will bring it.
You can easily get at least 75FPS running Skyrim (with some
mods) at max settings on 1080p. This is the most loaded HD
7970 out on the market that uses top-notch parts, and it’s a
fat, three-slot card. Not the most elegant solution, granted, but
definitely one that is versatile, beastly and built to last. All
things considered, this is just an awesome card for
overclocking and a fantastic one-card (single-GPU) solution for
the hardcore.

Cooler Master Seidon 120M
If your chassis allows, you’ll want to go for a closed-loop liquid cooler with a 240mm radiator. A 120mm
one will have to do if there is no way your chassis can accommodate a larger one, and because of
clearance issues, we chose to go with the Seidon 120M instead of the Seidon 240M because there
doesn’t seem to be enough clearance to install the radiator and its fans as they would be blocking the
socket for auxilary power to the motherboard. If we mounted the fans of the Seidon 240M on top
(outside) of the chassis, we could have went with a 240mm radiator, but since we’re pretty big on
aesthetics, we went with the Seidon 120M with its 120mm radiator instead.
When you’re going with an unlocked processor like the FX 8350 Black Edition we have here, you’re
going to want a cooling solution that is efficient and quiet. The more heat you can get rid off, the more
you can get out of your processor, and with air-cooling, this usually means the ramping of the fans to
cool the radiators or to expell hot air from the enclosure. The principal is pretty much the same with
liquid coolers, except you’ll have to factor in the unit’s water pump. Many of the closed loop water
coolers we’ve seen have rather quiet water pumps, but the Cooler Master Seidon series of liquid CPU
coolers happen to be the least audible.

Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB

Corsair AX760i

240GB is more than enough for Windows 8 (or 7), a slew of
your must have applications (like Skype, Steam, etc) as well
as a couple of your favourite games. If you learn to delete
your games after completing them, you’ll hardly need
anything higher than 240GB.
We chose the Neutron GTX 240GB specifically because
the Neutron GTX Series of SSDs were designed to support
data-intensive work that involves accessing multiple files
simultaneously. This sounds like a dream for video
production or large-scale graphic work, but it also means
being about to run multiple applications at once without
pausing to take a breath. We opted for the 240GB Neutron
GTX drive (even though 120GB was more than enough)
because it hit the sweet spot when it came to sequential
read and write speeds as well as overall price per gigabyte.

Choosing a good PSU is tough, since the hype around gaming rigs are
usually around processors, RAM and graphics cards. You can’t go
wrong with a modular PSU like the AX760i since it reduces cable
clutter (resulting in better overall air flow) but besides determining
what wattage you need for your system, spending that little extra on a
PSU with a high-efficiency rating as one with a Platinum rating means
less wattage will be lost as heat.
Traditional power supplies have analogue components for regulating
voltages, but the AX760i uses a DSP (digital signal processor), which is
faster and more accurate. We aren’t going to argue with this PSU’s 80
Plus Platinum rating, but it is worth noting that you can control and
monitor this power supply via Corsair link.
The AX760i is a fine example of what a top-notch PSU needs to be
and it’s also available in higher capacities (AX 860i, AX1200i). Just
remember to look for the “i” when you’re out shopping for your PSU.

AMD FX 8350 + Asus
ROG Crosshair V Formula

G.SKILL Trident X
2400MHz

We didn’t stumble upon the Asus ROG
Crosshair when we were deciding on a
motherboard, we chose it specifically. Yes, part
of it was because we wanted to get a theme
going (of course we were, what are we?
Barbarians?), but the real reason was because
of all the tools ROG boards equip us with.
Simple one-click overclocking (with CPU Level
Up), low latency when gaming (with
GameFirst), and hardcore overclocking (with
ROG Connect) are just the bulk of what this
board has to offer.

16GB of DDR3 RAM is more than enough
to run all your gaming and multimedia
needs but we chose this kit partly because
its colour matched the colour scheme we
were going for. We didn’t necessarily need
a kit that runs at 2400MHz but because
we’re so big on having internals match,
this was a necessary “evil”. You see kids,
sometimes it is ok to spend a little more
on your rig for the sake of vanity, but when
you throw performance into the equation,
you have to throw in the towel and submit
to performance RAM that doubles as
eye-candy.

GreatGadgets

GreatGadgets

14 - Issue 09, 2013

External peripherals for your consideration

AverMedia Live Gamer Portable
T

he name doesn’t leave much to the imagination, but it is the sheer
convenience that makes this device a great addition to any
household with consoles and/or more than one PC.
This device is comfortably sized just a tad bigger than an iPhone 4, and
it is the first truly portable video capture device we’ve come across (it even
comes with its own protective case). The Live Gamer Portable can connect
to just about any this generation console and PC, record 720p at 60
frames per second and take less than five minutes to set up. All you really
need is a class 10 SD card and a USB power source to get this dandy
device up and running – just connect the cables, insert SD card and push
a button to start recording.
This is perfect for those running PCs with SLI or CrossFire and just
can’t make the space (or power requirements) to house an internal
capture card. It’s exceptionally convenient to move around and setup
thanks to its ability to run off USB power instead on needing to look for a
wall socket. Also, the fact that it doesn’t even need to be connected to a
PC to capture video makes things a lot less problematic.
You can stream video and even capture up to 1080p on the Live Gamer
Portable but you’ll have to connect the kit to a PC or laptop.

Xonar U7
H

ere’s an external acoustic solution for those of you with PCs so beastly that your
motherboards can’t hold anything else. While there are a few external sound cards
on the market, the Xonar U7 is targeted to serve the needs to PC gamers who crave
intense and clear sounds from their premium 7.1 headphones. We’ve said this a million times
before and we’ll say it again; it doesn’t matter how awesome your speakers/headphones are
when your soundcard/source is rubbish.
This isn’t just a box that gives you a significant edge in terms of gaming audio. It also
functions as an audio control center that lets you adjust the volume of your game as well as
your mic volume with dedicated controls. We love the Xonar U7 because you have the option
of toggling between your speakers (rear panel) or headphones (front panel) with a single tap
of the volume knob. This is actually a big deal because even the most avid gamer isn’t
attached to his headphones every single time he’s at his computer. Besides, there will be
times where easy listening is in order and not having to hot-swap audio jacks is a huge plus.
Sound-wise, the most noticeable enhancements are in-game voice quality. Since
background effects usually need to be lowered when there are dialogue segments, you’ll
quickly notice the absence of noise, artifacts or interferences related to poor signal
insulation. We’ve also noticed that the Xonar U7 produces sound that is much stronger and
has more depth (unlike flat and underpowered onboard audio). Sound positioning is
awesome and this applies to opponent positioning as well as game effects and on the whole,
the gaming experience is definitely heightened by this magical black box.
You’d be wrong to think that the Xonar U7 is only for the gamer, because as mentioned
earlier, dialogue is crystal and this makes the U7 a great solution for watching HD media as
well. In our trails, we didn’t experience any “hollow” sounding audio with action movies as
well as movies with a lot of dialogue.
Like the Live Gamer Portable, its small form factor makes it extremely ideal for LAN
parties. The Xonar U7 is also conveniently USB powered and it’s still pretty incredible how
something this small is capable of delivering a 7.1 channel audio experience.

Issue 09, 2013 - 15

GreatGadgets

PowerSkin
T

he iPhone 5 feels very light, but it also feels very
fragile. It feels fragile because we’re used to
robust devices being a little hefty and unless we
have someone who is willing to volunteer their iPhone 5
for drop tests, we’re not about to prove the theory
wrong.
Another problem about the iPhone 5 is how horrible
its battery life is but besides that, Apple’s latest phone
is a remarkable phone no matter what the Android and
Windows fans say. Doubling the battery life of your
iPhone would be swell and when it comes with slender
good looks, it’s a done deal.
The PowerSkin battery case isn’t just there to power
and protect, it also gives the phone a very solid grip.
Tapers on both ends on of the back of the case makes
using your iPhone 5 a lot more ergonomic. It even has a
battery indicator that is extremely discreet and does
not mess with the overall aestethics of the case.
Since this case has a battery, it will weigh your
iPhone 5 down a little, but if you are like most of us, the
additional weight and contours will actually make using
your iPhone 5 feel very natural and a little less
strenuous.

Nakamichi
myMiniBT
T

The Nakamichi myMiniBT is an awesome
little unit that is compact, classy and big on
sound. The sound that this little drum pumps
out is remarkably crisp and firm. For speakers of this
class, it really isn’t too difficult to spot a good one
amongst a sea of shoddy ones, and the myMiniBT
manages to sit comfortably above the benchmark.
This little kit covers the spectrum when it comes to
compatibility, offering line-in and micro SD above the
standard, Bluetooth connectivity. It even has FM radio

built it. The myMiniBT’s range is decent; stuttering at
approximately 10 metres and a 2-hour charge will
provide just under 4 hours of listening pleasure.
Speakers of this size and class usually don’t do too
well in reproducing bass and depth, but the myMiniBT
does particularly well in the depth department. Of
course, a great deal of what you hear depends on your
source, and it can sometimes feel like your listening to
stereo speakers instead on mono.

ere’s an excellent graphics card for the mini-ITX PC that
you’ve been thinking of building for your media centre and it’s
getting hard to comprehend how these tier 2 graphics cards
continue to be engineered smaller and smaller.
Under its petit hood is a decent 2GB of GDDR5 memory with a
256-bit bus to help keep traffic smooth. The GTX 670 is meant to be
overclocked and while the DirectCU Mini cooling on the GTX 670 may
not seem like it does much, it is still able to dissipate more heat than
Nvidia’s coolers while remaining surprisingly quiet.
While Asus’ GTX 670 Mini may be a short card, many mini-ITX
enclosures on the market today will take a full-sized, dual-slot card
without an issue, and some mini-ITX enclosures don’t even support
dual-slot graphics cards. So why a GTX 670 Mini? Well, besides being a
technological and engineering breakthrough of sorts, the GTX 670 Mini
does create upgrade possibilities for those who own ready-made PCs
from HP, Acer, etc. This card may possibly be the only choice for a
sensible and beefy upgrade for these system owners, and that’s
probably one of the reasons behind its weighted price tag.
Its name might suggest a certain level of compromise, but we
assure you, the Asus GTX 670 Mini is no slouch in providing would-be
owners the eye candy they deserve. That said, it wouldn’t make much
sense for a system builder to even consider the GTX 670 Mini, since
the fully sized Asus GTX 670 DirectCU II would be a better choice,
hands down.

EyeFly 3D
I

t has been a long time since something so
elementary and revolutionary has tickled our fancy.
Come to think of it, the last time we were this
intrigued was the first time we laid eyes on the
Nintendo 3DS.
Just like any other screen protector, EyeFly 3D is
applied to your iPhone 5 without the need for messy
adhesives and it won’t leave any residue should you
choose to remove it. You’ll need to use the EyeFly3D
app to make sure that it is properly oriented, and once
you have done so, prepare to experience 3D content
without the need for any eyewear. You need to use the
app in order to enjoy 3D pictures and videos. You can
even load 3D movies onto you device and watch them

in 3D, on the fly, without any additional equipment.
The beauty of the EyeFly 3D is that it doesn’t
interrupt your regular 2D viewing when you aren’t using
3D. There is hardly any distortion with regular 2D
viewing and it’s a win-win since it also doubles as a
screen protector.
You may find it hard to believe, but this ingenious
plastic film was developed by Temasek Polytechnic and
A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and
Engineering. The wheels are already in motion to
develop and calibrate this technology for other mobile
devices (Apple and Android) and there are even plans to
include MacBooks and iPads that feature the Retina
display.

Issue 09, 2013 - 17

GreatGadgets

Sony SBH20
A

lthough Sony markets the SBH20 as a
bluetooth headset with NFC (Near-Field
Communication), but there is actually more to
this kit than meets the eye.
At first glance, the SBH20 looks a whole lot like an
iPod Shuffle, from its on-apparel clip to the racy colours
available, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing because
a bluetooth headsets needs to be light, sleek, and
trendy. Its clip has a swivel that allows it to take on any

orientation, so if you prefer the volume rocker to face
up, it will always face up no matter how you clip it on.
The main unit of the SBH20 features all the controls
you’d want for playing music. Play/pause, previous
track, next track and an inbuilt mic are located on the
unit and these control will work with pretty much any
smart phone on the market today, and if you aren’t
satisfied with the in-ear buds included (they are actually
very, very decent), feel free to use your own
headphones or speakers – as long as has a 3.5mm jack,
you’re good to go. Connecting the SBH20 to a set of PC
speakers is a quick a relatively cheap way to turn your
regular speakers into “bluetooth-compatible” ones.
According to Sony, the SBH20 will last 6 hours, and
that is probably possible if you use it at mid volume, but
ours lasted a good 5 hours (with stock ear buds) at max
volume and a considerable amount of track surfing. The
clip is able to hold itself in place even with intense
activity (trying to stay on a treadmill at high speeds)
and because the cable of the included earbuds are
relatively short, they don’t get in the way at all.
At just SGD$78, the Sony SBH20 is practically
unbeatable, weighing a mere 12.3 grams, allowing up to
3 devices to be paired simultaneously, very decent
range and up to 200 hours of standby time.

Skullcandy FIX
T

hese are the first pair of buds from Skullcandy
that are designed to stay in your ear no matter
what manly activities you may engage yourself
in. We’ve noticed that many of the major audio
peripheral companies have started to develop buds for
use with sports and you’ll understand why if you have
ever went jogging (or even brisk walking) because you
will know how annoying it can be to have to fumble
around with renegade ear-buds that refuse to stay
planted. The FIX’s construct is primarily plastic, and
while this is usually a downer, the FIX’s plastic construct
makes it light and perfect for activities.
The sound quality of the FIX is definitely above
average, with crispy trebles and a deep resonating bass

giving it a very rich soundscape. With that in mind, the
bass does tend to drown out mids. This is probably
intentional, since semi heavy tunes seem to help with
burning calories.
This pair of earphones also come with an in-line mic
and remote, and while this convenience isn’t something
to write home about, it does add more functionality for
the user. Indeed, the FIX stays in place during activities
and aside from getting caught on something, they are
noticeably more secure than the average in-ear bud.
While the Skullcandy FIX isn’t a revolutionary or
exceptionally good pair of earphones, they are still a
great pair that gets all the small details right.

ver wondered into a your favourite IT store
to take a look at the seemingly infinite
variations of portable flash drives there are
on the market? Of course, different capactities
cater to people who use their thumb drives for
different purposes, but once you’ve decided on
what capacity to settle for, you usually face a
dilemma of not being too pleased with the style
of drives available to choose from. There is a
certain sense of same-ness about thumb drives,
and it can get pretty annoying especially if you’re
looking for that one unique drive that screams
your name.
Style, while important, is of course, secondary.
Security is the most important of all, and when
we speak of security, we aren’t just talking about
the sense of security that the SanDisk
SecureAccess software provides. Knowing that
your files won’t just disappear into thin air is also
very, very important. It sucks when drives fail, and
more often than not, they seem to fail at the
worst time possible, so it does pay to stick to the
global leader in flash memory storage solutions.

Cruzer Force

Cruzer Orbit

Cruzer Fit

This is a no-frills flash drive with a durable metal shell.
It’s straightforward, yet distinctive enough without
kicking up a big fuss. It won’t feel out of place in a
bunch of keys – which is exactly where these compact
flash drives belong – and you should never leave home
without it.

It’s style, all round. A 360-degree rotatable USB
connector shield keeps the most important part of your
drive safe from dings and kinks. While this isn’t the
smallest drive of the bunch, it’s only a mere 1.5 inches
long and just over a quarter-inch thick. It’s donut centre
also makes it very easy to be attached to lanyards or
key rings.

You won’t believe just how small this drive truly is. This
is a drive that feels and looks a the USB dongle reciever
of a notebook mouse. Considering it’s available
capacities (up to 32GB), the Fit manages to make the
humble 10-cent coin look big. Its discreet, low profile
design makes it the go-to choice for instances where a
regular thumb drive is just too big and obstructive. The
common reaction after finding out what the Cruzer Fit
is goes something like, “THAT’s a thumb drive???”. It’s
actually more like a thumbnail drive.

Cruzer Pop

Cruzer Facet

Cruzer Switch

Like its name suggests, the Pop is probably the hipster
of the bunch, available in a multi-colour paint-drip
design, carbon-fibre-like checkerboard, or red with tribal
design. The Cruzer Pop’s name probably derrived from
the sound it makes when you “break” it open. While its
shape and materials used won’t make a statement, the
way its USB connector is cleverly hidden will certainly
garner a second glance.

This is a svelte and elegant solution for carrying your
photo’s music and other files. It’s part steel, part plastic,
but 100% stylish. Definitely for the dress-up type
looking for that little bling in their flash accessories.
Come to think of it, this looks more like a fashion
accessory than storage drive. Perhaps all drives should
look like that…

You’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached to your neck,
and you probably have that sad-looking flash drive (that
used to have a protective cap) strung to your keychain.
The good news is you will never misplace the cap on the
Cruzer Switch. You’d have to be pretty brutal with it in
order to lose it, so the average user need not worry
about it too much.

SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0
Flash Drive
As its lengthy name suggests, this is for the big boys.
Speed is the name of the game here, and while being
up to 10 times faster than a regular USB 2.0 drive
sounds exciting enough, it is future proofing that
matters. We’re all going to go USB 3.0 in the future, so
why not hop on board first? While its slide-out
mechanism resembles the Cruzer Micro, the SanDisk
Extreme USB 3.0 Flash Drive’s slide-out mechanism is
actually feels spring loaded and far more luxurious.

Issue 09, 2013 - 19

ASUS VivoTab
Smart

L

ight and easy to carry in one hand, this tablet with a
wireless keyboard gives a pseudolaptop
experience. Easy to operate, the magnetic TranSleeve
protects the 10.1-inch screen and folds backwards to prop up the
tablet for hands-free viewing.
The VivoTab Smart runs on a full Windows 8 operating
system, and can handle all the basic functions that you
expect from a laptop, short of intense work like video-editing and
gaming.
The Bluetooth keyboard that comes with the tablet is
comfortable enough for document work, but the trackpad is a
little inaccurate and it can get quite fustrating. The built-in
speakers are reasonably clear and the screen is bright. Battery
life is reasonably long enough for light use throughout the day.
– if you’re using it during transit on public transport or while
waiting for appointments. While there aren’t any full-sized ports,
Asus still managed to squeeze in micro-sized USB, HDMI, and SD
card readers.
Thin and light and extremely affordable, it suffices as a good
replacement for laptops, fulfilling the less demanding tasks in
work and entertainment, if you can overlook the minor flaws, and
use it for what it is.